A reporter from the Beijing News visited Hefei, Zhengzhou, Jinan, Beijing and other places to investigate and found that some hospitals directly collected money and issued certificates without physical examination; Employers such as takeaway platforms and catering enterprises acquiesce in or even cooperate with practitioners to commit fraud; The lack of online medical examination filing information makes it difficult for regulatory authorities to verify...
A small health certificate is related to the safety of the public's tongue, and it is an important part of public health and epidemic prevention.
The Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, the Regulations on the Management of Hygiene in Public Places and other regulations stipulate that employees engaged in five major industries, including food production and operation and public place services, must apply for health certificates.
In late May 2023, a reporter from the Beijing News visited Hefei, Zhengzhou, Jinan, Beijing and other places to investigate and found that there are "blind spots" in the issuance, use and supervision of health certificates that protect consumers' rights and interests and prevent the spread of diseases: some hospitals directly collect money and issue certificates without physical examination; Employers such as takeaway platforms and catering enterprises acquiesce in or even cooperate with practitioners to commit fraud; The lack of online medical examination filing information makes it difficult for regulatory authorities to verify...
This series of problems has derived the phenomenon of "flood of false certificates", and when Beijing News reporters investigated in many places mentioned above, they successfully obtained "health certificates" without physical examination, including fake certificates handled by counterfeiters, as well as genuine certificates issued by some hospitals. Some counterfeiters have packed tickets: "Law enforcement officers can't find out the authenticity, let alone employers such as restaurants and takeaway platforms." ”
Fu Jian, a lawyer at Henan Zejian Law Firm, said that forging and using fake health certificates are illegal. According to the provisions of the Criminal Law, anyone who forges the seals of companies, enterprises, public institutions or people's organizations shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years. Anyone who uses a fake health certificate, violates the Public Security Administration Punishment Law, buys or sells or uses forged or altered official documents, certificates or supporting documents may be detained for not less than 10 days but not more than 15 days and fined.
In order to curb the situation of false certificates, in fact, as early as 2014, many places in China have successively eliminated the old-fashioned plastic card-type health certificate to implement a new version, the physical examination information is filed online, and the two-dimensional code anti-counterfeiting recognition function is added, and law enforcement personnel and employers can query the health information of practitioners through scanning or through the official account. In August 2022, 13 catering workers with fake health certificates were sentenced to administrative detention by Beijing police.
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Counterfeit certificate dealers say that fake certificates have been "packaged" for review
"Takeaway, courier platform packaged." In the WeChat group of a takeaway rider in Zhengzhou, Ayu (pseudonym) sends a message from time to time to apply for a health certificate.
▲ The certificate intermediary sends a circle of friends to solicit business, declares that the fake health certificate has been obtained, and the package has passed the review of the takeaway platform. Screenshot
After adding WeChat, Ayu told the Beijing News reporter that as long as he provided his name, age and a selfie, he could apply for a health certificate the next day without going to the hospital for a physical examination. If she wants to be a takeaway rider, the health certificate she issued also passes the platform's review.
Ayu said that at present, there are two types of health certificates in Zhengzhou, 25 yuan for badge type (old system) and 35 yuan for electronic health certificate with QR code.
The Beijing News reporter provided information on the two people on the same day, and requested to apply for two health certificates of the new and old formats separately.
On May 18, a reporter from the Beijing News received a health certificate mailed by Ayu to the designated address, and both health certificates were printed with numbers, expiration dates and the hospital's official seal. For the reporter's "true or false" question, Ayu was very impatient, "If you told you that it can be used, do you have to say it so clearly?" ”
In order to verify Ayu's "bagged" commitment, the reporter uploaded the same health certificate to the part-time rider apps of two well-known takeaway platforms. One of them quickly passed the audit, and the other system warned that "verification failed". Ayu logged in to the reporter's account and passed the platform review after uploading. Ayu said that it may be that the reporter uploaded it in the wrong way. According to the rules of the two platforms, after the health certificate passes the system review, you can take orders and deliver meals as a rider.
▲The fake health certificate handled by the reporter passed the review after being uploaded to the takeaway platform. Screenshot
With fake health certificates, it's not just takeaway riders who enter the restaurant industry.
An investigation by a reporter from the Beijing News found that a number of agency bookkeeping companies and qualification agency companies in Zhengzhou also advertised "agency health certificates" on some recruitment platforms, and their customer groups included operators and practitioners of catering restaurants.
According to the staff of a qualification agency company, in addition to a business license, a food business license is also required to operate a catering store, and the information that needs to be submitted to the market supervision and management department when applying for this certificate includes the health certificate of the operator and the employee, and they have long-term cooperation with the hospital, which can be issued without a physical examination.
After paying 200 yuan, the reporter received a health certificate the next day. The comparison shows that the health certificate is no different from the plastic health certificate that the reporter spent 25 yuan to apply for.
The staff of a number of agency qualification companies told reporters that the health certificates they issued are all of this old style, but issued by regular hospitals, "When applying for a food business license, this health certificate is reviewed and filed by the regulatory authorities, and we will not use fake ones." ”
In fact, this "expensive" health certificate is also a fake certificate.
On May 23, a reporter from the Beijing News took four health certificates obtained from the intermediary and verified them one by one with the hospitals with official seals on the certificates.
▲In May, the reporter successively issued 7 fake health certificates without physical examination through a number of intermediaries and takeaway sites. Photo by the Beijing News investigation team
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The employer acquiesces to forgery or even applies for forgery on behalf of the employer
With the fake situation, Zhengzhou is not the only one that exists.
In February this year, a reporter from the Beijing News went undercover in Hefei for half a day in two restaurants under the Demon Chain Grilled Fish brand, and during the work in the back kitchen, it was found that the health certificates used by many employees of the two stores, including the store manager, were all handled through intermediaries, and the employees themselves did not have a physical examination.
On May 17, when applying for a job in Nanjing's big-name Hefei Heart City store, the reporter clearly told the chef that he had not undergone a physical examination and that the health certificate was handled through an intermediary, but the chef was not surprised by this and said that he could use it. The head chef who interviewed the reporter at Xiaolongkan hotpot Hefei Binhu Intime City also recognized the "fake health certificate", telling reporters that he had also paid an intermediary to apply for a health certificate before.
It seems to be an open secret in Hefei that health certificates can be issued without a physical examination. When the reporter applied for a job in the catering industry, some recruiters bluntly said that they contacted an intermediary and could directly apply for a health certificate. And takeaway riders with many practitioners also use fake health certificates.
On a food street in Shushan District, Hefei City, a reporter from the Beijing News randomly asked a number of takeaway riders waiting to take orders. One rider said that his health certificate was obtained through an intermediary and recommended the agent's WeChat.
The Beijing News reporter sent the ID photo to the intermediary through WeChat, and after paying 35 yuan, less than 5 minutes, he said that he had completed a health certificate for convenience, and said that "you can use it anywhere."
Another license agency recommended to reporters by a delivery rider said he had been in the business for several years and had handled thousands of health certificates. After the certificate was completed, the Beijing News reporter followed the guidance of the intermediary and went to a lottery shop near Hong Kong and Macao Plaza in Hefei Economic Development District to collect it. After obtaining permission from the owner of the lottery shop, the reporter found his health certificate in the counter of the store, and with the certificate, there were about 20 health certificates waiting to be collected.
▲On May 13, the reporter received a fake health certificate from an intermediary at a lottery shop near Hefei's Hong Kong Macao Plaza, and there were a total of 20 fake health certificates waiting to be collected at the counter that day. Photo by the Beijing News investigation team
The owner of the lottery shop said that most of the people who apply for health certificates here are takeaway riders, and admitted that these health certificates are not real, "anyway, just cope, you can cope." ”
The person in charge of a takeaway platform in the West Lake International Plaza in Shushan District said during the interview that he could directly apply for a fake health certificate, "40 yuan, just find me and I'll do it for you." It is guaranteed to pass the platform's audit. The staff in charge of recruitment at another takeaway platform site in Yaohai District also said that they could find someone to apply for a health certificate.
In Jinan, Shandong, catering and takeaway enterprises have relatively strict requirements for health certificates. Since late May, Beijing News reporters have consulted dozens of household units as applicants, and most of them have been told that they need to apply for real and valid health certificates, and "no false certificates are allowed." However, some employers have indicated that they can help apply for fake health certificates.
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Some supervisors said that checking health certificates generally depends on the validity period
With the tacit consent of the employer, the health certificate that protects the rights and interests of consumers and prevents the spread of disease has become a "game" for cooperation between it and the applicant. In the investigation, the reporter found that there were also "blind spots" in the supervision department's inspection of the authenticity of documents.
According to relevant regulations, the health certificates of catering enterprises are inspected by the market supervision and management department, while the health certificates of practitioners in public places such as bathing and accommodation are inspected by the health supervision department.
On May 11, at the Furong Market Supervision Institute in Hefei Economic Development District, the reporter, in the capacity of the person in charge of the employer, provided the staff with a fake health certificate issued by an intermediary, hoping to verify the authenticity. A staff member then took the health certificate and carefully examined it, "It can be used, why can't it be used, it can be used in the validity period." ”
A staff member of the Beacon Mountain Market Supervision Institute in Shushan District, Hefei City, also gave a positive answer after checking the health certificate issued by the agency, "We generally check whether it has expired."
During the interview, the reporter learned that although the health certificate of Luyang District of Hefei City is organized by the designated hospital in the jurisdiction, the health certificate is uniformly produced by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. On May 15, the reporter contacted the Luyang District CDC, hoping to inquire about the authenticity of the employee's health certificate, but was rejected by the staff, "This is generally not public, it belongs to personal privacy." ”
When the Beijing News reporter took the health certificate issued by the intermediary to the hospital with the official seal for verification, the hospital staff also thought it was true at first glance, and after being reminded that the holder was an agent and did not come to the physical examination, the staff found that it was a fake certificate after careful comparison: "The font and number of the forged certificate are inconsistent with the real certificate, but if the real certificate is not compared or verified by the comparison of the real and false documents, it is indeed difficult to distinguish." The staff said.
It is difficult for the issuing hospital to verify the authenticity, not to mention the employer and the supervisor, and there are intermediaries who handle the fake certificate: "The law enforcement personnel can't find out the authenticity, you can use it when you get it to the Bureau of Industry and Commerce (Market Supervision Bureau)." ”
A similar situation exists in Zhengzhou.
On May 30, a reporter from the Beijing News inquired about two market supervision and administration offices in Zhengdong New District, Zhengzhou City, with a health certificate issued by the agent on the grounds of applying for a food hygiene business license, and none of the staff found that the certificates were fake.
On the question of how to distinguish the authenticity of the health certificate submitted by the witness, the staff of the Ruyi Lake Market Supervision Institute said that it can only be done by observation, the certificate is stamped with an official seal, and it is within the validity period. The staff of the Market Supervision and Administration Institute on Jicheng Road said that it was possible to provide it, and there was no need to verify, "It's too busy, how can I have time to verify this." ”
The health conditions of hotels, baths and other public places and the health certificates of employees shall be inspected and supervised by the health supervision department of the jurisdiction.
Regarding the authenticity of the health certificate, the staff of the health supervision offices in Zhongyuan District and Erqi District of Zhengzhou City said that generally the seals stamped by the physical examination unit are genuine, and they also check whether the certificate is valid and whether the certificate is their own. Regarding the fundamental question of the authenticity of the documents, the staff of the Central Plains District Health Supervision Institute said that they did not have the authority to investigate.
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Community hospitals charge "urgent fees" to waive physical examinations and apply for certificates
In addition to fake health certificates that are difficult to distinguish, they have flowed into the catering and other service industries. An investigation by a reporter from the Beijing News found that a community hospital in Zhengzhou charged a higher fee than the normal physical examination, known as "expedited", and "issued a health certificate in seconds" without doing any physical examination for the certificate holders.
On May 22, a reporter from the Beijing News, in the capacity of the person in charge of the employer, asked the staff at the guidance desk of the Tai Community Health Service Center in Zhengzhou Economic Development District "whether it is possible to expedite the application for a health certificate", and received a positive reply: "Yes, 60 yuan, as long as the ID photo of the witness is sent, the certificate can be issued." ”
The Beijing News reporter took two ID photos and sent them to the staff of the health service center, and in less than 5 minutes, the reporter received the photo of the health certificate. Through the WeChat public account of the Zhengzhou Health and Family Planning Supervision Bureau, it can be confirmed that the health certificate is a valid certificate.
According to public information, the Tai Community Health Service Center of Zhengzhou Economic Development District, established in 2018, is a primary health center in many communities under the jurisdiction of Minghu Street.
The staff of the Tai Community Health Service Center told reporters that they have cooperated with multiple sites of a takeaway platform, and riders at the site can apply for health certificates without physical examination. On a daily basis, when the site needs it, it will communicate with them directly in the group.
On the 30th, the reporter entered this WeChat group called "expedited health certificate", and after the group members sent work ID photos and red envelopes to the group, the health certificate consistent with the ID card name was issued in less than 5 minutes. On the 31st, a total of 9 health certificates were applied for in the group, and the self-reported stations of a takeaway platform were the South Agricultural Road Station, the Commercial Center Station, and the Economic Development Zone Station.
▲The WeChat group formed by the staff of the Taihe Health Service Center of Zhengzhou Economic Development District and the personnel of multiple takeaway sites sends red envelopes and witness information in the group, and directly issues certificates without physical examination. Screenshot
The reporter noticed that the WeChat red envelopes sent to the group by the certificate holders were all collected by WeChat members named "Shi Moumou". An article released by the WeChat public account of the Tai Community Health Service Center shows that Shi is the director of the health service center. Shi himself also confirmed to reporters the position of his director.
An investigation by a reporter from the Beijing News found that the takeaway platform site directly applied for health certificates through the Tai Community Health Service Center and was not the only three sites mentioned above. The health certificates of many riders on the bulletin board of the Nongke Road station are also issued by the Tai Community Health Service Station, and Ms. Zheng, who is responsible for recruitment at the station, said that there is no need to go through the physical examination process, just pay money to do it directly.
▲At a well-known takeaway platform Nongke Road site, the health certificates of multiple delivery staff were processed through the Taihe Health Service Center of the Economic Development District. The recruiter said that the certificate was issued directly without a medical examination. Photo by the Beijing News investigation team
At the end of May, when the Beijing News reporter interviewed at two takeaway sites in Fengtai Science and Technology Park in Beijing and Hua Weixili, Chaoyang District, the staff said that they could contact the intermediary to help the employee apply for a health certificate, "150 yuan, you don't need to go to someone, you can send the other party's ID card and photo." ”
Three days later, the Beijing News reporter received a health certificate. The two certificates are issued by Yongkang Clinic of Beijing Zehui Yongkang Hospital Management Co., Ltd. and Huayuan Road Community Health Service Center in Haidian District, Beijing. Although the reporter did not participate in the physical examination, by scanning the QR code on the health certificate, the reporter underwent a health examination, and all indicators were qualified.
▲A health certificate applied for by a takeaway site in Beijing on behalf of a reporter, scanned QR code to check, can be seen, and the reporter who has not had a physical examination, all indicators show that they are qualified. Screenshot of health certificate QR code scanning
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It is illegal to buy, sell or use fake health certificates
According to the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, the Regulations on the Administration of Hygiene in Public Places and other regulations, employees engaged in five major industries, including food production and operation and public place services, must apply for a health certificate, which is valid for one year.
Ma Guansheng, a professor at the Department of Business and Food Hygiene at Peking University's School of Public Health, said in an interview with the Beijing News that the purpose of applying for a health certificate is to understand and prove the health status of the holder and prevent the transmission of related diseases.
Ma Guansheng said that in reality, there are cases where practitioners do not have a physical examination, use fake health certificates, and even have people who acquiesce in or help employees to apply for fake health certificates through intermediaries. For example, dysentery, typhoid fever and other diseases are highly contagious, if a patient has not undergone a physical examination, with a false certificate to work, pathogenic microorganisms through the patient's contact with goods food, etc., causing public health risks to social stability and economic development. Therefore, applying for a fake health certificate is not only a neglect of personal health, but also a disregard for the safety of consumers' lives, and it is also an illegal act.
The problem of counterfeiting and use of the old version of the health certificate in actual use has long attracted the attention of relevant departments. As early as 2014, Li Jiawei, deputy director of the Guiyang CDC, mentioned in an interview with the media that the old version of the health certificate is easy to falsify, and the inquiry is also very troublesome, if the employer and law enforcement personnel want to inquire about the health information of practitioners, they must find the staff of the physical examination department for file inquiry, which takes a long time and the procedure is cumbersome, resulting in high law enforcement costs and inadequate supervision. In November 2014, Guiyang City launched a new version of the health certificate with a QR code.
Fu Jian, director of Henan Zejian Law Firm, said that forging and using fake health certificates are illegal. According to the provisions of the Criminal Law, anyone who forges the seals of companies, enterprises, public institutions or people's organizations shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years. Anyone who uses a fake health certificate, violates the Public Security Administration Punishment Law, buys or sells or uses forged or altered official documents, certificates or supporting documents may be detained for not less than 10 days but not more than 15 days and fined.
▲On June 12, the reporter saw at a health certificate agency in Jinan that 20 fake health certificates were collected on behalf of the applicant. Photo by the Beijing News investigation team
Fu Jian said that false certificates are equivalent to no certificates. According to the Food Safety Law, if a person engaged in work in contact with food for direct consumption has not obtained a health certificate, the food safety supervision and administration department at or above the county level may also give a warning to the business unit, and if it refuses to make corrections, it may impose a fine of between 5,000 and 50,000 yuan, and if the circumstances are serious, it shall be ordered to suspend business until the license is revoked.
It can be seen from the search that in order to curb the situation of false certificates, around 2014, many places in China have successively implemented a new version of health certificates, networked information, and added two-dimensional code anti-counterfeiting recognition function, law enforcement personnel and business units can scan or query the health information of practitioners through official accounts. The verification of health certificates has also been strengthened in many places, and some counterfeiters and users have been dealt with. For example, in August 2022, 13 catering workers with forged health certificates were punished by Beijing Daxing police with administrative detention.
But even so, if there is a situation similar to the above-mentioned Taijian Community Hospital fraud, the physical examination information network and anti-counterfeiting QR code cannot be effectively supervised.
Professor Ma Guansheng said that in order to eliminate the use of fake health certificates from the root, it is necessary to increase publicity, focus on the importance of health certificates, and let people understand the serious consequences of making and using fake certificates. Second, the supervision of relevant industries should be strengthened, spot checks should be conducted regularly, and penalties should be increased for the production and use of false certificates. In addition, it is necessary to strengthen the supervision of medical institutions to ensure that they comply with relevant regulations and have to issue health certificates after a physical examination.
In interviews, many people who apply for fake health certificates bluntly said that they did not have a problem with their physical health, but because they were troublesome to go to the hospital for physical examination. The staff of the Jinan Licheng District Health and Family Planning Supervision Institute said that in addition to self-paid physical examinations, there are also free physical examinations in many places, and it is illegal to apply for false certificates.